Braden scale for predicting pneumonia after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Stroke-associated pneumonia is an infection that commonly occurs in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and causes serious burdens. In this study, we evaluated the validity of the Braden scale for predicting stroke-associated pneumonia after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. METHODS: Patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were retrospectively included and divided into pneumonia and no pneumonia groups. The admission clinical characteristics and Braden scale scores at 24 h after admission were collected and compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive validity of the Braden scale. Multivariable analysis was conducted to identify the independent risk factors associated with pneumonia after intracerebral hemorrhage. RESULTS: A total of 629 intracerebral hemorrhage patients were included, 150 (23.8%) of whom developed stroke-associated pneumonia. Significant differences were found in age and fasting blood glucose levels between the two groups. The mean score on the Braden scale in the pneumonia group was 14.1±2.4, which was significantly lower than that in the no pneumonia group (16.5±2.6), p<0.001. The area under the curve for the Braden scale for the prediction of pneumonia after intracerebral hemorrhage was 0.760 (95%CI 0.717-0.804). When the cutoff point was 15 points, the sensitivity was 74.3%, the specificity was 64.7%, the accuracy was 72.0%, and the Youden's index was 39.0%. Multivariable analysis showed that a lower Braden scale score (OR 0.696; 95%CI 0.631-0.768; p<0.001) was an independent risk factor associated with stroke-associated pneumonia after intracerebral hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: The Braden scale, with a cutoff point of 15 points, is moderately valid for predicting stroke-associated pneumonia after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

An in vitro model study of computer-guided endodontic microsurgery / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To assess and compare the accuracies and operating time of endodontic microsurgery performed by operators with different levels of experience in endodontics using computer-guided techniques including dynamic and static navigations in a surgical simulation model. Methods: Six pairs of three dimensional (3D)-printed models of upper and lower jaws were set up on dental manikins. A total of 120 teeth (10 teeth each jaw) were included in the models. Microsurgeries of osteotomy and root-resection were performed on the models by two operators with different experience, namely novices and experts, under of free hand (FH)(n=20), dynamic navigation (DN)(n=20), and static navigation (SN)(n=20) conditions, respectively. The duration of each operation was recorded. Cone-beam CT was taken for 3D-printed models before and after the operation. The path of preoperative surgery planning was simulated. The linear deviations at the entry and the end point and the angular deviation of the access path between the simulated and the actual operation were compared by the software. Results: Significant difference of the entry deviation was observed between the novices and the experts in the FH group [(1.44±0.49) and (1.02±0.58) mm] (q=4.67, P=0.020). There were no significant differences between the novices and the experts in the end point and angular deviations (P>0.05). For the novices, the entry deviations in both DN and SN groups [(0.76±0.32) and (0.66±0.20) mm] were significantly lower than those in FH group (q=7.58, P<0.001; q=8.66, P<0.001). The angular deviations in the abovementioned two groups (5.0°±3.5°, 3.9°±2.1°) were significantly lower than that in FH group (10.9°±6.1°) (q=7.38, P<0.001; q=8.70, P<0.001). For the experts, significant differences were found only in the angular deviations among DN, SN and FH groups (3.6°±1.9°, 3.2°±1.7° and 8.2°±3.9°) (q=5.74, P=0.001; q=6.29, P<0.001). The operation durations were significantly shortened for both the novices [(4.80±2.15), (1.09±0.48) min] (q=14.60, P<0.001; q=20.10, P<0.001) and the experts [(3.40±1.96),(1.02±0.34) min] (q=5.86, P<0.001; q=9.37, P<0.001) by using DN and SN techniques. Regarding the differences between tooth types, in FH group, the operating time on the anterior teeth was significantly shorter than that on the posterior teeth (q=8.14, P<0.001; q=5.20, P=0.007), while in DN and SN groups, there were no significant differences in the operating time between two tooth types (P>0.05). No significant differences were discovered in the accuracies on the anterior and posterior teeth among three techniques or between two kinds of operators (P>0.05). Conclusions: Dynamic and static navigation techniques could assist the clinicians, especially the novices, to improve the accuracies and shorten the operating time of osteotomy and root resection microsurgeries.

Melatonin protects against ovarian damage by inhibiting autophagy in granulosa cells in rats

Abstract Objectives: This study sought to further verify the protective mechanism of Melatonin (MT) against ovarian damage through animal model experiments and to lay a theoretical and experimental foundation for exploring new approaches for ovarian damage treatment. Method: The wet weight and ovarian index of rat ovaries were weighted, and the morphology of ovarian tissues and the number of follicles in the pathological sections of collected ovarian tissues were recorded. And the serum sex hormone levels, the key proteins of the autophagy pathway (PI3K, AKT, mTOR, LC3II, LC3I, and Agt5) in rat ovarian tissues, as well as the viability and mortality of ovarian granulosa cells in each group were measured by ELISA, western blotting, CCK8 kit and LDH kit, respectively. Results: The results showed that MT increased ovarian weight and improved the ovarian index in ovarian damage rats. Also, MT could improve autophagy-induced ovarian tissue injury, increase the number of primordial follicles, primary follicles, and sinus follicles, and decrease the number of atretic follicles. Furthermore, MT upregulated serum AMH, INH-B, and E2 levels downregulated serum FSH and LH levels in ovarian damage rats and activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Besides, MT inhibited autophagic apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and repressed the expression of key proteins in the autophagic pathway and reduced the expression levels of Agt5 and LC3II/I. Conclusions: MT inhibits granulosa cell autophagy by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby exerting a protective effect against ovarian damage.

Acute Toxicity and Hepatotoxicity of Aqueous Extracts of Taxilli Herba from Different Hosts in Zebrafish Model / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the acute toxicities and hepatotoxicities of aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from <italic>Morus alba</italic>， <italic>Toxicodendron</italic> <italic>trichocarpum</italic>， <italic>Camellia oleifera</italic>， <italic>Salix babylonica</italic>， <italic>Melia azedarach</italic>， and <italic>Nerium indicum</italic> against zebrafish model and the effect of different hosts on the toxicity of Taxilli Herba， hoping to provide a theoretical basis for the safe use of Taxilli Herba. Method:The normally developed AB zebrafish at 3-day post fertilization was selected for acute toxicity study. According to the results of preliminary toxicity experiments， the zebrafishes were treated with aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from different hosts at six doses， and their mortality was calculated 72 h later. GraphPad Prism 6.0 was used for plotting the dose-toxicity curve， followed by the calculation of their median lethal concentration （LC₅₀） and 10% lethal concentration （LC₁₀）. The gz15Tg/+（AB） liver fluorescent protein transgenic zebrafish with normal development at 4-day post fertilization was applied for the hepatotoxicity study. The zebrafishes were divided into the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of aqueous extracts of Taxilli Herba from six hosts， the positive control （acetaminophen） group， and the blank （embryo amniotic fluid） group， and then treated with the corresponding drugs. Seventy-two hours later， the liver morphology and fluorescent area changes in zebrafish were observed. And the activities of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were detected. Result:The results of acute toxicity test demonstrated that the LC₅₀ values of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from <italic>M. alba</italic>， <italic>T.</italic> <italic>trichocarpum</italic>， <italic>C. oleifera</italic>， <italic>S. babylonica</italic>， <italic>M. azedarach</italic>， and <italic>N. indicum</italic> were 1.24， 0.94， 0.51， 0.38， 0.11， 0.09 g·L^-1， respectively， and the LC₁₀ values were 0.70， 0.60， 0.35， 0.28， 0.08， 0.07 g·L^-1， respectively. As revealed by hepatotoxicity test， compared with the blank group， the positive control group exhibited liver morphological changes， decreased fluorescent area （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and elevated ALT and AST activities （<italic>P</italic>< 0.01）， suggesting that acetaminophen was hepatotoxic to zebrafish. However， there was no change in the liver morphology or fluorescent area of zebrafish in the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from <italic>M. alba</italic>， and the ALT and AST activities were decreased. By contrast， the liver morphology and fluorescent areas in the medium- and high-dose groups of water extracts of Taxilli Herba from <italic>T.</italic> <italic>trichocarpum</italic>， <italic>C. oleifera</italic>， <italic>S. babylonica</italic>， <italic>M. azedarach</italic>， and <italic>N. indicum</italic> changed to varying degrees （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Besides， the activities of both ALT and AST were also enhanced. These indicated that Taxilli Herba from <italic>M. alba</italic> had no hepatotoxicity to zebrafish， while that from <italic>T.</italic> <italic>trichocarpum</italic>， <italic>C. oleifera</italic>， <italic>S. babylonica</italic>， <italic>M. azedarach</italic>， and <italic>N. indicum</italic> showed varying degrees of hepatotoxicity to zebrafish. Conclusion:The toxicity of Taxilli Herba is host-dependent. Taxilli Herba from <italic>M. alba</italic> has no hepatotoxicity， but that from the other five hosts shows varying degrees of hepatotoxicity. Standardizing the host source may be an important measure to realize the medication safety of Taxilli Herba.

Prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections in Yunnan Province: a cross-sectional study in 2015 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the current prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections in Yunnan province, so as to provide the scientific evidence for formulating the soil-borne nematodiasis control strategy in the province. Methods In 2015, a total of 20 survey sites were sampled in 10 counties (cities) of Yunnan Province using the stratified cluster random sampling method. Stool samples were collected from all local permanent residents at ages of one year and older in each survey site, and the soil-borne nematode eggs were identified using the modified Kato-Katz technique and the egg number was counted. In addition, the hookworm species was identified using the filter-paperculture method, and Enterobius vermicularis eggs were detected using the cellophane tape method in children at ages of 3 to 6 years. Results A total of 5 067 residents received stool examinations, and 950 residents were detected with soil-borne nematode infections, with an overall prevalence rate of 18.75%. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichura and hookworm was 7.52%, 8.47% and 9.02%, respectively. Among 446 children detected using the cellophane tape method, 5 children were detected with E. vermicularis infections. Among the 160 residents with hookworm infections, there were 139 residents with Necator americanus infections (86.88%), 16 with A. duodenale infections (10.00%) and 5 with mixed infections (3.12%). Mild A. lumbricoides (67.98%, 259/381), T. trichura (88.58%, 380/429) and hookworm infections (94.53%, 432/457) were predominant. Among the four ecological zones, the highest prevalence of human soilborne nematode infections was found in the East Tibet-South Sichuan Ecological Zone (31.79%), and among the 10 survey counties (cities), the greatest prevalence was seen in Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County (50.13%), while the lowest prevalence was found in Ninglang Yi Autonomous County (0.40%). The prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections was 5.67% (43/759), 26.67% (610/2 287) and 14.70% (297/2 021) in high-, moderate- and low-economic-level regions, respectively. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections in terms of ecological regions, survey counties (cities) or economic development levels (χ2 = 342.20, 814.60 and 201.34, all P < 0.05). There was no significantdifference in the prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections between male (18.21%, 441/2 422) and female residents (19.24%, 509/2 645) (χ2 = 0.89, P > 0.05), and soil-borne nematode infections were detected in residents at all age groups, with the greatest prevalence found in residents at ages of 1 to 9 years (25.88%). In addition, the highest prevalence of soil-borne nematode infections was seen in residents with the Dulong Ethnic Minority (82.09%), in preschool children (25.06%) and in illiterate residents (24.80%), and there was no age-, ethnicity-, occupation- or education level-specific prevalence of soil-borne nematode infections detected (χ2 = 46.50, 1 016.96, 36.33 and 52.43, all P < 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of human soil-borne nematode infections remains high in Yunnan Province. The management of soil-borne nematodiasis requires to be reinforced among low-age children, farmers, old people and residents with low educations levels or ethnic groups.

Effects of conditioned medium of human periodontal ligament stem cells on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of inflammatory tissue-derived human periodontal ligament stem cells / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: The conditioned medium rich in bioactive substances can maintain the stability of proliferation and biological characteristics of stem cells. Whether the conditioned medium of human periodontal stem cells derived from healthy tissues can affect the proliferation and osteogenesis of human periodontal stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue is significant for periodontal tissue regeneration and reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of human periodontal stem cells-conditioned medium derived from healthy tissue on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue. METHODS: HPDLSCs from normal periodontal ligaments of healthy adults were isolated, purified and cultured in vitro. Human periodontal stem cells-conditioned medium was obtained by collecting the supernatants from the serum free medium which was used for the third generation cells grown up to 80% of the bottom of the bottle after 24 hours cultivation. Human periodontal stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue were obtained from pericementum of periodontitis patients, and cultured by using limiting dilution assay. Human periodontal stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue were separately cultured under conditioned medium treatment group (conditioned medium containing 50% human periodontal ligament stem cells + 50% conventional medium) and control group (conventional medium). Protein expression levels of vimentin, Pan Cytokeratin, and stromal cell antigen STRO-1 were identified by immunofluorescence staining. The proliferative activity of cells was analyzed by MTT assay and flow cytometry. After osteogenesis in vitro, alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression levels of three osteogenesis related genes (Runx2, OPN, and OCN) were detected using alkaline phosphatase kit and RT-PCR, respectively in both groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Both groups of cells were in accordance with the morphological characteristics of adult stem cells, showing long fusiform or polygonal shapes. There was no significant difference in cell morphology between the two groups under inverted phase contrast microscope. (2) The immunofluorescence staining showed that cells in both groups were positive for the specific antibodies of vimentin and STRO-1, but negative for the specific antibody of Pan Cytokeratin. (3) The results of MTT assay showed that after 3, 5 and 7 days, the proliferative activity of conditioned medium treatment group was higher than that of control group (P < 0.01). (4) Cell cycle analysis showed that compared with the control group, the number of cells in G2/M phase and S phase in conditioned medium treatment group increased significantly (P < 0.05). (5) At 5 and 7 days of osteogenic induction in vitro, alkaline phosphatase activity of conditioned medium treatment group was higher than that of control group (P < 0.05). (6) After 21 days of osteogenic induction, the expression levels of osteogenic related genes Runx2, OPN, and OCN in conditioned medium treatment group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). (7) In conclusion, human periodontal stem cells-conditioned medium derived from healthy tissues can enhance the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue.

Puerarin protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation via TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway in rats / 药学学报

This study was to investigate the protective effects of puerarin on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury and the underlying mechanism. The MI/R-model was established by ligating the left anterior descending artery (LAD) for 60 min followed by 24 h reperfusion, puerarin (10, 30, and 100 mg·kg-1) was orally administered 20 min before reperfusion. Cardiac function, myocardial infarct index, cardiac damage markers, inflammatory cytokines, and apoptosis index were measured to evaluate the protective effects of puerarin on MI/R injury. The activation of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway were determined by Western blot. All animal experimental procedures were approved by the ethics committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The results showed that puerarin could significantly improve cardiac function, reduce myocardial infarct size, decease the levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and suppress cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Meanwhile, puerarin could notably decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Western blot analysis revealed that puerarin could downregulate the expression of TLR4, Myd88, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), cleaved-caspase 1, cleaved-gasdermin-D (GSDMD), IL-1β, and IL-18, as well as the phosphorylation levels of inhibitor of NF-κB α (IκBα), IκB kinase β (IKKβ), and NF-κB. These findings demonstrated that puerarin could alleviate MI/R injury by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation, possibly via TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway.

Reversal of Drug Resistance in K562/ADM Cells Caused by RA and the Related Mechanisms / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of ursane triterpenoids 3β,19α-dihydroxyursu-12-ene-23,28-dicarboxylic acid (Rotundioic acid, RA) on the sensitivity of adriamycin-resistant K562 cells (K562/ADM Cell) anti-tumor drug, and to explore the effect and mechanism of RA on the multidrug resistance of K562/ADM cells.@*METHODS@#CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of RA on the sensitivity of K562 cells and K562/ADM cells to anti-tumor drug. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of mRNA and the protein in K562 and K562/ADM cells, and the effect of RA on the expression of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp in K562/ADM cells was also detected; Western blot was used to detect the expression of p-JNK, p-p38 and p-ERK1/2 in K562/ADM cells.@*RESULTS@#RA could increased the sensitivity of K562/ADM cells to adriamycin(the reversal factor was 1.61 times), the difference showed statistically significantly (P<0.05); the resistance factor of K562/ADM to ADM was 41.76 times. The expression of MDR1 mRNA in K562 cells was extremely low, and the protein product P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was almost not expressed; MDR1 mRNA and P-gp in K562/ADM cells were highly expressed; RA could down-regulate the expression levels of MDR1 and P-gp in K562/ADM cells. In addition, RA could upregulate the phosphorylation levels of p38 and ERK1/2 in K562/ADM cells, but it has no effect on the expression of p-JNK.@*CONCLUSION@#RA may participate in the regulation of MAPK signaling pathway by upregulating the expression levels of p-p38 and p-ERK1/2 in K562/ADM cells, and thus inhibit the transcription and translation levels of MDR1, and finally reverse the multidrug resistance of leukemia cells.

The influence of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the epidemic of influenza in Huzhou / 预防医学

Objective@#To evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) prevention and control measures in Huzhou on influenza epidemic strength and characteristics in 2020, so as to provide reference for formulating influenza prevention measures. @*Methods@#Using the influenza surveillance data of the national influenza sentinel surveillance system from January 2015 to July 2020, the seasonal characteristics of influenza epidemic were analyzed, the proportion of influenza-like illness cases ( ILI% ) and the positive rate of influenza virus in January to July of 2020 were compared with those of the same period in 2015-2019, in order to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures. @*Results @#The ILI% and the positive rate of influenza virus in Huzhou were 3.90% and 15.32% during 2015-2019, while were 4.41% and 12.63% from January to July of 2020. The trends of ILI% during 2015-2019 fluctuated similar, but continued to drop since January 2020. The positive rate of influenza virus peaked from December to March in 2015-2019, also peaked from December 2019 to January 2020, but decreased to 0 in March. ILI% was positively correlated with the positive rate of influenza virus ( r=0.682, P<0.05). The growth rates of ILI% from January to July 2020 were 4.75%, -11.27%, 0.68%, 19.84% and 0.92%, compared with the same period of 2015-2019, respectively. The growth rates of ILI% in January 2020 were much higher ( >57.00% ) and from April to July were much lower ( <-33.00% ) . The growth rates of influenza virus positive rate from January to July 2020 were -47.96%, -36.53%, -3.44%, -35.92% and -39.37%, compared to the same period of 2015-2019, respectively. The growth rates of influenza virus positive rate in January 2020 were much higher ( >11.00% ) and from February to March were much lower ( <-61.00% ). @*Conclusion@#Since COVID-19 prevention and control measures were implemented in January 2020 in Huzhou, the ILI% and the positive rate of influenza virus in sentinel hospitals decreased significantly.

Effect of DUOX2 on sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effect of double oxidase 2 (DUOX2) on the sensitivity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Methods: CRC cell lines DLD-1, SW480, HCT116, SW620 and normal intestinal epithelial cell line NCM460 were selected, and the expression of DUOX2 in these cell lines were detected by qPCR. DUOX2 expression in HT-29 and HCT116 cells was stably knocked down by lentivirus infection technique. The knockdown efficiency was detected by qPCR and WB. Cells in sh-Control and sh-DUOX2 groups were treated with 5-FU at different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 120 μg/ml). The effects of 5-FU on cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by CCK-8 method and flow cytometry. HT29 cell transplanted xenograft model in nude mice was constructed to observe the effect of DUOX2 gene on the treatment efficacy of 5-FU. Results: the expression level of DUOX2 mRNA in CRC cells was significantly higher than that in NCM460 cells (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with sh-Control group, the mRNA and protein expressions of DUOX2 in sh-DUOX2 group were significantly decreased (all P<0.01); the sensitivity of cells to 5-FU was enhanced, the apoptosis rate and the ratio of cells at G0/G1 phase were significantly increased (all P<0.01), and the ratio of cells at G2 and S phase was significantly decreased (all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in tumor volume and mass between sh-Control group and sh-DUOX2 group without 5-FU treatment (all P>0.05), but the volume and mass of transplanted tumor in sh-DUOX2+5-FU group after 5-FU treatment was significantly lower than that in sh-Control+5-FU group (all P<0.01). Conclusion: The sensitivity of CRC cells to 5-FU can be significantly enhanced by knocking down DUOX2 gene.

Effect of lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 on malignant biological behaviors of melanoma B16-F10 cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#Objective: To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA CDKN2B antisense RNA 1 (CDKN2B-AS1) on malignant biological behaviors of melanoma B16-F10 cells by targeting miR-7-5p. Methods: Melanoma B16-F10 cells were chosen for this study. shRNA CDKN2B-AS1 vector was constructed and transfected into B16-F10 cells. The experimental cells were divided into control group, sh-CDKN2B-AS1 group, miR-7-5p mimic group and miR-7-5p inhibitor group. The expression level of CDKN2B-AS1 mRNA in the transfected B16-F10 cells was detected by RT-PCR; the number of clone formation and the proliferation ability of the cells were detected by Clone formation assay and MTT assay; and the migration and invasion ability of the cells were detected by Scratch-healing assay and Transwell assay. The targeting relationship between CDKN2B-AS1 and miR-7-5p was detected by Luciferase reporter gene assay. The mRNA expression of miR-7-5p and protein expressions of Ki67, cleaved caspase-3, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Twist1 in B16-F10 cells after transfection with miR-7-5p mimics/inhibitor were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Compared with the control group, the expression level of CDKN2B-AS1 mRNA in B16-F10 cells of sh-CDKN2B-AS1 group was significantly decreased (P<0.01); the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of cells were significantly decreased (all P<0.01). Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that CDKN2B-AS1 directly targeted miR-7-5p. The mRNAexpression of miR-7-5p, and protein expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and E-cadherininsh-CDKN2B-AS1groupandmiR-7-5pmimic group were significantly up-regulated (all P<0.05), whiletheproteinexpressionsofKi67,N-cadherin,andTwist1weresignificantlydown-regulated (all P<0.05). Conclusion: CDKN2B-AS1 targets miR-7-5p to promote the development of melanoma, and interfering with CDKN2B-AS1 can inhibit the malignant biological behaviors of melanoma B16-F10 cells.

Epidemiological characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 in Huzhou / 预防医学

Objective@#To learn the epidemiological characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019（COVID-19）in Huzhou,so as to provide reference for prevention and control of COVID-19.@*Methods@#All the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Huzhou,diagnosed according to the COVID-19 Diagnosis and Treatment Plan（Sixth Version Trial）and reported from January 25 to February 7,2020,were recruited. The process of diagnosis and treatment,clinical manifestation,exposure history and close contacts were collected to analyze the epidemiological characteristics. @*Results@#On January 25,the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Huzhou was reported. By February 7,totally 10 confirmed cases were reported and no asymptomatic infection was found. They were all imported,including three Wuhan residents,two with a trip to Wuhan,three with a trip to Suizhou,one with a trip to Hangzhou and one with a trip to Thailand（two Wuhan passengers on the same flight）. The ratio of male to female cases was 1∶1. The median age was 32 years old. Seven cases were found when they went to a doctor by themselves,and three cases were found during the quarantine. The main clinical manifestations were fever,dry cough and fatigue. The median time from onset to diagnosis was 3 days. By March 3,all the cases were discharged,with median course of 24 days. There were 312 close contacts,and all of them were released after 14 days of quarantine. @*Conclusions @#To prevent imported cases from outside and stop spread inside taken by Huzhou government was proved to be effective. All the COVID-19 cases in Huzhou were imported,mostly from Wuhan. No local cases were reported.

Expression and clinical significance of lncRNATTN-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective：To study the expression of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) titin antisense RNA1 (TTN-AS1) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues, and explore its relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of LUAD patients. Methods: The TTN-AS1 expression in LUAD data set was analyzed using TCGAdatabase. 52 pairs of tumor tissues and matched para-carcinoma tissues from LUAD patients, who underwent surgical resection and were later pathologically conformed in Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between Jan. 2014 and Jan. 2015, were used in this study. qPCR was performed to detect TTN-AS1 expression in the specimens. Then, the correlations between TTN-AS1 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Survival analysis was used to determine the significance of TTN-AS1 expression for predicting the prognosis of LUAD patients. Results: TCGAdatabase analysis and qPCR results showed that TTN-AS1 expression in LUAD tissues was significantly higher than that in normal lung and para-carcinoma tissues (both P<0.01). TTN-AS1 expression in LUAD tissues was significantly correlated with the TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but not correlated with gender, age, tumor invasion range (P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis result demonstrated that the patients with high TTN-AS1 expression had shorter post-operative disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than those patients with low TTN-AS1 expression (all P<0.01). Cox proportional hazard regression model result demonstrated that wider tumor invasion range, positive lymph node metastasis and high TTN-AS1 expression were significantly correlated with shorter postoperative DFS and OS (P<0.05). Conclusion: TTN-AS1 was highly expressed in LUAD tissues, and closely correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of LUAD patients (all P<0.05). High expression of TTN-AS1 is significantly correlated with shorter DFS and OS, indicating that TTN-AS1 may be a biomarker for predicting poor prognosis of LUAD patients.

SNHG6 promotes invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma TE1 cells via upregulating ZEB1 / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To explore the roles and mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) in promoting invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of SNHG6 in ESCC and matched para-carcinoma tissues. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of SNHG6 in ESCC cell lines (TE1, Yes-2, Eca9706 and Kyse150). Then, TE1 cell line which harbored highest expression of SNHG6 was used in following experiments. siRNAs were used to knock down the expression of SNHG6. Clone formation, wound-healing and transwell assay were used to detect the abilities of proliferation, migration andinvasionofTE1cells,respectively.Westernblottingwasusedtodetecttheexpressions of MMP-2, MMP-9andZEB1 protein before and after knockdownofSNHG6inTE1cells.Results:SNHG6washighlyexpressedinESCC tissues, compared to para-carcinoma tissues (P<0.01). The expression of SNHG6 was significantly decreased after transfection of SNHG6siRNA (all P<0.01). The abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion of TE1 cells in si-SNHG6-1 and si-SNHG6-2 group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.01). The expressions of ZEB1, MMP-2and MMP-9 in si-SNHG6-1 and si-SNHG6-2 group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: SNHG6 is highly expressed in ESCC tissues and promotes the malignant biological behavior of ESCC cells. Its mechanism of promoting the occurrence and development of ESCC may be related to the upregulation of ZEB1 expression.

The prevention and control of a new coronavirus infection in department of stomatology / 中华口腔医学杂志

During a short period of time, the outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, named Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP), was first reported in China, spreading to 24 countries and regions rapidly. The number of confirmed cases and deaths continued to rise. World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Efficient infection control can prevent the virus from further spreading, which makes the epidemic situation under control. Due to the specialty of oral healthcare settings, the risk of cross infection is severe among patients and oral healthcare practitioners. It's more urgent to implement strict and efficient infection control protocols. This paper, based on existing guidelines and published researches pertinent to dental infection-control principles and practices, mainly discusses epidemiological characteristics of NCP and the features of nosocomial infection in oral healthcare settings, and furthermore provides recommendations on patient's evaluation, and infection control protocols in department of stomatology under current circumstance..

Photosynthetic index and nitrogen assimilation in rapeseed seedlings transplanted in soil with ammonium glufosinate / Índice fotossintético e assimilação de nitrogênio em plântulas de colza transplantadas em resposta a resíduos de glufosinato presentes no solo

ABSTRACT: Herbicide application is an effective weed control method for mitigating crop yield loss; however, herbicide overuse can cause toxicity in non-target plants. The present study evaluated the effects of glufosinate at recommended dose for agricultural application (0.45 kg ha-1) and at overuse dose (0.90 kg ha-1) glufosinate application on photosynthetic performance and nitrogen assimilation of the rapeseed varieties D148 and Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11). Both glufosinate concentrations significantly decreased the content of chlorophyll and nitrogenous compounds, except free proline, and the activity of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase, and increased the activity of glutamic acid dehydrogenase in both varieties. When the concentration of glyphosate was 0.45kg ha-1, the nitrogen assimilation of the two varieties decreased, which indicated that the recommended dosage inhibited the nitrogen assimilation of the two varieties; however, the increase of net photosynthetic rate of D148 and the decrease of that of ZS11 mean that D148 is more tolerant to the recommended dose of glyphosate than ZS11. The 0.90 kg ha-1 dosage was toxic to both rapeseed varieties. Overall, our results indicated that herbicide overuse inhibited the photosynthetic rate and nitrogen assimilation in rapeseed seedlings, and it is essential to apply a suitable glufosinate dose based on the variety grown to minimize adverse effects on crops and environment.

RESUMO: A aplicação de herbicidas é um método eficaz de controle de ervas daninhas para mitigar a perda de produtividade das culturas. No entanto, o uso excessivo de herbicidas pode causar toxicidade em plantas não alvo. O presente estudo avaliou os efeitos da dose recomendada para aplicação agrícola (0.45 kg ha-1) e dose excessiva (0.90 kg ha-1) de glufosinato no desempenho fotossintético e assimilação de nitrogênio das variedades de colza D148 e Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11). Ambas as concentrações de glutamato diminuíram significativamente o teor de clorofila e compostos azotados, exceto a prolina livre, e a atividade de síntese da glutamina e de síntese de glutamato, e aumentaram a atividade de desidrogenase do ácido glutâmico em ambas as variedades. Quando a concentração de glifosato foi 0.45 kg ha-1, a assimilação de azoto das duas variedades diminuiu, o que indicou que a dosagem recomendada de glifosato inibiu a assimilação de azoto das duas variedades de colza. Entretanto, a taxa fotosintética líquida do D148 aumentou enquanto o do ZS11 diminuiu, o que significa que o D148 é mais tolerante a dose recomendada de glifosato do que o ZS11. A dose de 0.90 kg ha-1 de glifosato foi prejudicial para as mudas de duas variedades de colza. Em geral, os nossos resultados indicam que o uso excessivo de glufosinato inibe a taxa fotossintética e a assimilação de nitrogênio em mudas de colza, sendo essencial aplicar uma dose adequada deste herbicida com base na variedade cultivada para minimizar os efeitos adversos nas culturas e no meio ambiente.

Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)-poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) thermogel tunnel creation for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in porcine model

Background: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a minimal invasive treatment. However, tissue dissection under endoscopy is still challenging due to the flexibility of endoscopy body and there is still no effective method for establishing a tunnel towards the targeted area. We previously showed that a new kind of thermogel could be submucosallly injected and served as a cushion for endoscopic dissection. Thus, in this study we investigated the feasibility and safety of tunnel creation using poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)-poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) thermogel for NOTES in a porcine model. Methods: We prepared an injectable thermogel composed of PLGA-PEG-PLGA triblock copolymers which exhibited a low-viscous sol at room temperature and spontaneously transformed into a no-flowing gel at body temperature. This thermogel was used in NOTES in pigs. The success rate and adverse events were observed. Results: The PLGA-PEG-PLGA thermogels were successfully injected to the targeted areas under the guide of endoscopic ultrasonography and the tunnels were created by sucking the gel during NOTES as the endoscopy went forwards in all the three animals. The necropsy of the pigs showed no evidence of iatrogenic injury. No serious bleeding and perforation was observed. The results demonstrated that thermogel injection and tunnel creation by suction during NOTES were feasible, which simplified the procedure of tissue dissection and developed a new method of identifying the targeted area for surgical interventions without causing severe tissue damage. Conclusion: The application of thermogel for tunnel creation in NOTES could optimize current procedures and may have a promising prospect in clinical application

lncRNA NEAT1 promotes cell proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells through inhibiting DNAdamage / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To investigate the effects of long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) on the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells and to explore its mechanism. Methods: qPCR was used to detect the expression level of lncRNA NEAT1 in human lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells and human embryonic lung diploid 2BS cells. The sequence of small interfering RNA(siRNA) targeting lncRNANEAT1 gene was designed and synthesized, and then transfected into PC-9 cells by liposome method. The expression level of NEAT1 in PC-9 cells before and after transfection was detected by qPCR. MTT and flow cytometry were used to detect the effect of lncRNANEAT1 knockdown on proliferation and cell cycle distribution of PC-9 cells, respectively. WB assay was used to detect the expressions of DNA damage-related proteins, namely, double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) biomarker γ-H2AX and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), before and after transfection. Results: Compared with 2BS cells, lncRNA NEAT1 was highly expressed in PC-9 cells (P<0.05). The PC-9 cells with lncRNA NEAT1 knock-down were successfully established. After being transfected with siRNA for 12 h, the proliferation of PC-9 cells in siNEAT1 group and siNEAT2 group significantly decreased as compared with the blank control group and the empty transfection group (P<0.05). In the interference groups, cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase ([88.97±2.64]%, [88.15±1.48]% vs [84.5±1.72]%, P<0.05) and G2/M phase ([8.35±2.02]%, [8.11± 1.36]% vs [4.28±1.28]%, P<0.05). The expression levels of DNA damage-related proteinsATM and γ-H2AX in the interference groups were significantly increased (all P<0.05). Conclusion: lncRNA NEAT1 is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells. lncRNA NEAT1 inhibits DNA damage and causes cell cycle at G1/M phase switch, and thus promotes the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Correlation between HbA1c on admission and blood glucose fluctuations and adverse events after coronary artery bypass grafting in non-diabetic patients / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and blood glucose fluctuations after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and adverse events in non-diabetic patients, thus providing theoretical support for intensive preoperative blood glucose management in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Methods    A total of 304 patients undergoing CABG with or without valvular surgery from October 2013 to December 2017 were enrolled in this prospective, single-center, observational cohort study. We classified them into two different groups which were a low-level group and a high-level group according to the HbA1c level. There were 102 males and 37 females, aged 36–85 (61.5±9.5) years in the low-level group, and 118 males and 47 females aged 34–85 (63.1±9.4) years in the high-level group. The main results were different in hospital mortality and perioperative complications including in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, sternal incision infection, new stroke, new-onset renal failure and multiple organ failure. To assess the effects of confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used. Results     Postoperative blood glucose fluctuation was more pronounced in the high-level group than that in the low-level group before admission [0.8 (0.6, 1.2) mmol/L vs. 1.0 (0.8, 1.8) mmol/L, P<0.01]. This study also suggested that the  incidence of major adverse events was significantly lower in the low-level group compared with the high-level group (P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses to correct the influence of other confounding factors showed that HbA1c (OR=2.773, P=0.002) and postoperative blood glucose fluctuations (OR=3.091, P<0.001) could still predict the occurrence of postoperative adverse events. Conclusion    HbA1c on admission can effectively predict blood glucose fluctuations in 24 hours after surgery. Secondly, HbA1c on admission and postoperative blood glucose fluctuations can further predict postoperative adverse events. It is suggested that we control the patient's preoperative HbA1c at a low level, which is beneficial to control postoperative blood glucose fluctuation and postoperative adverse events.

Cardiac complications in systemic sclerosis: early diagnosis and treatment / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

OBJECTIVE@#Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a remarkably systemic heterogeneous connective tissue disease with many organs involved. The heart is one of the major organs involved, carrying the threat of sudden cardiac death, especially in diffuse cutaneous SSc. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, types, new diagnostic approaches, and imaging and novel therapies of primary cardiac complications while underlining the effects of recently developed non-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in early diagnosis.@*DATA SOURCES@#Medline and Embase were searched for articles published up to July 2019. A combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords pertaining to SSc ("Scleroderma, Systemic" OR "Systemic sclerosis" OR' SSc"), AND cardiology ("cardiology" OR "heart" OR "cardiac") were applied to the search strategies.@*STUDY SELECTION@#Literature was mainly printed in English and Chinese about cardiac complications in systemic sclerosis. After selected simply on the title and abstract, the articles were included for the full text. Article type was not limited.@*RESULTS@#Relevant cardiac manifestations are complex, including arrhythmias, pericardial effusion, myocardial dysfunction, and valvular diseases. Even though the symptoms of cardiac complications are well known, unfortunately, they appear to be poor prognostic factors. As systemic sclerosis with cardiac complications has a high mortality rate and patients might have a poor quality of life, it is essential to promote early diagnosis and treatment. With the advent of non-invasive imaging techniques, such as CMR, early diagnosis of cardiac complications in SSc is becoming more effective.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Cardiac complications play an essential role in SSc and carry the threat of sudden cardiac death. More basic and clinical studies are warranted to develop better management of cardiac involvement in patients with SSc.